gold standard

noun

1

: a monetary standard under which the basic unit of currency is defined by a stated quantity of gold and which is usually characterized by the coinage and circulation of gold, unrestricted convertibility of other money into gold, and the free export and import of gold for settling of international obligations

2

: benchmark sense 1a

Synonyms

• bar
• barometer
• benchmark
• criterion
• grade
• mark
• measure
• metric
• par
• standard
• touchstone
• yardstick

Examples of gold standard in a Sentence

the gold standard for accurate experimental procedures is the double-blind medication trial

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike disease detection, which requires many more electrodes placed on specific locations of the scalp, measuring focus is more subjective since there’s no gold standard, Yeo says. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 24 Sep. 2024

But Kennedy's prime targets — the FDA's drug review process and NIH research — are recognized as the world's gold standards. —Caitlin Owens, Axios, 3 Nov. 2024

In the absence of a gold standard SIBO diagnostic, doctors still broadly disagree on how big of a role the condition may play in triggering the whole IBS milieu. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 24 Oct. 2024

Most aestheticians see Botox injections as a gold standard for minimising the appearance of wrinkles. —Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1